Nigeria: IED explosions kill two in Koibe (northeast) September 27

Event

According to local sources, a car hit an improvised explosive device (IED) in the village of Koibe, on the road between Maiduguri and Dikwa (Borno state), on Wednesday, September 27. Two people were killed and several others injured in the attack.

Context

Roads surrounding Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, had been temporarily closed due to extremely poor security conditions but have been reopened in recent weeks. They nevertheless remain highly dangerous due to the risk of Boko Haram attacks and as such a security escort is advised at all times.

Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in March 2015 and formally adopted the name of Islamic State in West Africa, is based in northeastern Nigeria. Al-Barnaoui, son of Mohammed Yusuf - the founder of Boko Haram - was nominated by IS in August 2016 to replace Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram since 2009. Since then, the two leaders have been leading dissident factions with divergent ambitions, Al-Barnaoui blaming Shekau for massacring civilians rather than focusing on military targets. As such, public venues (markets, places of worship, schools, bars, areas where broadcasts of sports competitions are displayed, etc.) along with security forces and governmental targets are frequently attacked. Kidnappings are also relatively common and foreign nationals are the primary victims.

Advice

The security environment in Nigeria is complex and particularly poor in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.